Blue to Blue
by AbbieL
Summary: The story of how Claire meets and falls in love with a certain blacksmith apprentice. Rated M for language and lemon in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey there! Long time no see. This is my second HM story, but the first time I write Claire x Gray. I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes, as english isn't my native language. Please note this story is rated M for language and adult situations in the future chapters. Anyways - hope you like it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon!

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It was a yet another comfortable spring morning in Mineral Town. Claire woke up and stared at the ceiling for a good five minutes before gathering up enough courage to get up. She looked around at her barely empty farmhouse and sighed. How the hell did she manage to get pulled into this mess? All she wanted was a change of scenery, an escape from the busy life back in the city. Instead, Claire now found herself stuck with this rundown farm and almost no money left in her bank account. She had no other choice but to stick around in the hopes some day this place would thrive again.

The blonde took her cup of coffee while staring out the window. Her new puppy kept her company by sleeping peacefully on her lap. "Ah, Rex.", Claire mumbled while gently petting the young mutt. "How the hell am I gonna pull this off?"

Mayor Thomas knocked on her door a few minutes after she was done changing into her overalls. Claire was still a bit upset at the short man for convincing her to take up such a big responsibility, but there was no point in being mad. What was done was done. "Hey Claire!", he greeted her cheerfully. "How is the farming going?"

"Erm. Not so good. I might be biting more than I can chew here...", she replied, quirking a brow up at him. All it took was one good look around the place to see she wasn't doing well at all.

"Don't worry! You'll get used to it in no time!", Thomas said, desperate to keep her spirits up. "Actually, I came to ask if you already had the chance to get to know the other villagers? It's a small town, everyone here pretty much know each other."

Claire nodded, a small smile spreading across her lips. "Oh, yeah! I went to the market the other day to get seeds and groceries and met some real nice people on my way there. The girl with the pink hair also took me to see where the poultry farm and Yodel ranch are... what was her name again?"

"Oh, Popuri! She's a real nice girl. Most of them are around here. Karen though, she is a bit difficult... but she means well! And Ann...", the Mayor rambled on, but stopped himself after noticing the odd look Claire shot his way. "Ahem. I'm sure you'll all get along!"

The blonde blinked, as if suddenly remembering something. "Actually, Mayor Thomas, I'm glad you're here today! I was wondering if you could tell me where I can get some proper tools? I got seeds, but I have nothing to plant them or water them with."

"Oh, my! Forgive me, I should have said something the day you got here. There's a a blacksmith on the way to the village. Just turn right after you exit the farm. I'm sure they can provide the tools you need!", Thomas beamed cheerfully.

Claired thanked the Mayor and rushed out to get started. Soon enough she reached Saibara's place and quietly let herself in. "Hello?", she called from the door, but the sound was muffled by all the shouting going on in the distance. Her sight fell upon the figure of a young man in his 20s: he had red hair, blue eyes and a real nice physique. He wore beige overalls and a cap that made it difficult to read his expression.

"What? Explain to me what's wrong with it! Come on!" the boy yelled as he threw his hands up in the air.

A much older man stood in front of him with arms crossed and an indifferent look upon his face. "What's wrong with it!? The answer is inside of you! You have much to learn!"

The red haired boy turned on his heel, about to storm out when he bumped into a very startled Claire. She fell on her ass and winced. He towered over her, looking angrier than ever. "What are _you_ looking at? If you have nothing..."

"Gray!", he was cut off by the other man yelling from behind the counter. "How dare you talk to a costumer like that!"

Claire looked up at them, still a bit scared. She assumed the old man must be Saibara, the blacksmith. But who could this other person be? An assistant? Looking closer, they were kind of similar. Relatives, perhaps? She was cut off from this train of thought when the boy, Gray, offered his hand to help her up. Now he looked more embarassed than angry, a blush spreading across his cheeks. If Claire wasn't so god damn startled she would have thought him quite handsome.

"So... sorry.", Gray apologized when she finally accepted his hand. She got up and immediately let go of him.

"Welcome.", Saibara greeted with a small smile, which was hard to see due to his long white beard. "You must be Claire, the new owner of that abandoned farm? Mayor Thomas said we have a newcomer."

"Uh, yes. Nice to meet you...", Claire nodded and scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"I'm Saibara and this is my grandson, Gray. He's training to be a blacksmith. If you need anything, let me know.", the blacksmith explained calmly.

Claire took the opportunity to inquire about her tools, watching from the corner of her blue eyes as Gray walked out the door. He seemed a bit less tense, thankfully. Not too long afterwards she left the shop with a nice set of tools and was surprised to see the red haired man leaning next to the door frame. Had he been waiting for her?

"Claire, was it? Sorry for earlier.", he called and she tilted her head at him with curiosity. Something about the blonde girl made him feel odd, so Gray instictively pulled his cap down to cover his eyes. "I didn't mean to be rude... my grandfather was giving me a hard time."

Claire couldn't help but ask. "Does that happen often?"

"Yeah...", he sighed. "He never approves of any of my work. I'm ready to quit. I feel stupid, you know?"

The blonde watched as he crossed his arms and let his back rest against the wall. Something about the way he was calling it quits so easily kinda pissed her off. Claire leaned forward, staring Gray dead in the eye. He gulped, letting go of the hem of his cap. "It's called TRAINING.", she stated, putting emphasis on the last word.

Gray blinked a few times, caught off guard. Never had a girl spoken to him like that, but somehow it didn't make him feel angry at all. In fact, those words rang true and he felt motivated again. "... you're right. I'm such a wimp. Sorry for complaining so much..."

"It's alright. Listen, I don't know what your relationship is like with your gramps but I'm sure he only says those things because he wants you to be good.", Claire explained with a gentle smile.

The blacksmith apprentice found it hard not to smile back. Her presense was oddly soothing. "Thanks, Claire. I don't get what my grandfather is saying right now, but I think the time will come. Just keep trying.", he said. "Hey. I... gotta go back."

Claire looked down at her watch and gasped. "Oh, right! Look at the time! Those seeds are not gonna plant themselves. Later!"

Gray watched as she disappeared down the path that lead to the farm. He had the strange feeling things were going to be different now that Claire was around.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

A few days after the incident at the shop, Gray found himself worrying in his room at Doug's inn. He must have looked like a real wimp, ready to give up like that. Also, why did he care so much about a stranger's opinion of him? What was it about Claire that made him wish he was slightly better at communicating with others?

"What's up with you lately, man?", Cliff, his roommate, asked from across the room. He was a guy about the same age as Gray, with long brown hair tied down in a ponytail. He also wasn't very talkative, which was probably the reason the two got along well. Cliff was probably the closest thing to a friend Gray had in this town.

"Ah. It's nothing.", Gray shrugged, placing his trademark cap on top of his head. "I think I'm going for a walk."

As soon as Gray went into the hallway and closed the door behind him his ears picked up the sound of girls chatting on the other room. He recognized the sound of a certain blonde's voice, despite only hearing it before that one time at Saibara's. What was she doing in Ann's room?

The door swung open suddenly and Gray almost jumped back in surprise. Claire stepped out first, followed by a very cheerful looking Ann. The red haired girl was Doug's only daughter and helped run the inn. "Ah, Claire, you are a delight!", she laughed. "Please stop by more often, will you?"

"You bet!", Claire smiled. Finally, the two girls looked down the corridor where Gray stood in awkward silence. "Gray! Didn't expect to see you here."

"He's been living here for a while now.", Ann answered before he could even say hi. She lowered her voice so only Claire could pick it up. "His roommate is a real cutie!"

The girls exchanged funny looks, but Gray honestly had no idea what was all that about. He approached as Ann bid her new friend a safe return home. "Claire, before you go, can we talk?"

The blonde watched as the door to Ann's room closed. She looked down at her arm, realizing Gray's hand gently keeping her from leaving. He let go of her in the blink of an eye, hoping that wasn't too inappropriate. "Oh? Sure."

Claire's eyes followed as his calloused fingers dug into his nape, scratching absentmindedly at the hair that wasn't covered by the cap. He looked like he was having a real hard time coming up with proper words. "Sorry about the other day. I really am. I was just so frustrated at that time..."

The blonde chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "Really, it's okay. You were upset, I get it. I have to admit I also have a difficult temper when things don't go the way I expect them to."

Gray found that hard to believe since Claire always seemed to polite and friendly to everyone around her. Still, he was glad to see he didn't manage to make himself look like a total ass right off the bat. "Ah... thanks. I'm not really good with new people. But, I feel comfortable talking to you."

Claire tilted her head with a confused look upon her features and he was overcome with the need to slap himself in the forehead. Damn it, why did he have to say something so silly? Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken when she decided to speak again. "I'm glad you feel comfortable around me. I have the feeling you're not that talkative around everyone."

Gray laughed, silently agreeing with her. Smart girl. "Oh, by the way, Claire. You ship mine items, don't you?"

"Yep!", she confirmed. "I've been going to the spring mine every day since my crops are still growing. It keeps me from going bankrupt."

"Because of my work, I'm into ores and gemstones.", Gray pointed out. "I want to practice making something besides what my grandpa tells me to... you know, I have much to learn."

Claire reached for his forearm and rubbed in a soothing manner. Gray would have probably flinched if it was anyone else, but somehow that felt okay. "I saw some of your work at the blacksmith the other day. I think you're great!"

"I'm not.", he grinned and Claire could have sworn he looked a little smug there for a moment. "I have a long way to go before I surpass my grandfather. When I get better, I'll make you something. That's a promise."

She wanted to tell him that wasn't necessary, but something about the determined glint in those blue eyes made Claire give up on that thought. Instead, the blonde offered him a small smile and giggled in an almost girlish manner.

"... but don't get too excited, okay?", Gray added as he looked away, pulling the hem of his cap down as if trying to cover his embarassment. Why was he trying so hard to look cool? When he set his eyes back on Claire, he found her still beaming. It made him smile a little, too.

"I'll try harder."

* * *

Later that day, Claire walked into the library. She immediately spotted Mary, the girl who was in charge of looking after the place, sorting through a pile of new books. Looking from behind her shoulder, the brunette offered the newcomer a shy smile. "Claire! I'm so glad you came. What can I help you with?"

The farmer approached, taking a good look around the shelves. The library didn't get many visitors apparently, and she thought it was such a waste! Good thing Mary was around to take care of all that precious knowledge. "Hey Mary! I was actually looking for some books on farming..."

"Yes, yes!", Mary nodded. "Here, let me show you where they are."

Claire followed the librarian to the place where all the books on farming were, all properly organized and catalogued. "Whoa. There's so many! Do you mind if I take a couple home and return them tomorrow?"

"As long as they return undamaged, I don't see why not?", Mary agreed, watching Claire run her fingers through the titles. Her head snapped back when she heard the door open, spotting a very familiar UMA cap. "Ah! Gray, welcome!"

The blonde turned on her heels, not quite expecting to see the blacksmith apprentice there. He walked over to the two girls, cocking his head slightly to the side. "We keep running into each other."

"We do, don't we?", Claire replied.

Mary looked between the two of them, looking a bit confused at that exchange of words. "Are you already acquainted?"

"Ah, yes.", Gray nodded, pulling his cap off and holding it with both hands. His red hair looked flat from having the cap on all day long, and Claire had to fight the impulse to reach over and fix it up. "Uh. I'll be reading over there."

The girls watched as Gray disappeared between the shelves, off to find himself a seat. Mary turned happily to Claire, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "Gray comes by almost every day to read."

"Funny.", Claire noted. "He doesn't strike me as the reading type."

"You'd be surprised!", the brunette giggled. "He reads quite a lot. I think he finds it relaxing, after all that hard work. "Well, that made sense. Gray indeed seemed to be constantly under a lot of stress. Claire started scanning through the books again, but Mary kept talking. "To be honest, Gray doesn't really like being around people. I'm surprise he doesn't mind being around me so often! Sometimes I wonder..."

Claire peeked at the librarian from the corner of her eyes. "What?", she asked, although it wasn't hard to figure out what that dreamy look was all about. Mary must have a crush on the guy or something, judging by the way she couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Nevermind. Anyway, if you need me I'll be over there at the counter!", Mary hurried away, afraid she might have said too much.

Claire picked up two books that looked useful enough and made to exit the library. Before that, she waved goodbye to Mary and Gray. The girl was sighing at the counter with the same distant look as before, while Gray looked too distracted by his reading to notice.

"They don't seem that compatible.", she told herself while closing the door behind her. Mary was a sweet girl, and probably a romantic at heart considering the novels sitting on top of her desk. Gray was quiet with a bad temper, and all too focused on his goal to become a blacksmith to care about anything else. Alas, it was not her place to judge, right?

The farmer went back to her rundown piece of land, excited to get started on all that reading. There was much to learn.


End file.
